Hry: Farmers block rail traffic over urea shortage

Angry over non-availability of urea fertiliser, scores of farmers laid a blockade near Narwana railway station in Jind district for four hours that delayed three trains on the Delhi-Ludhiana route on Tuesday.

punjabUpdated: Dec 16, 2014 21:44 IST

HT Correspondent Hindustan Times

Angry over non-availability of urea fertiliser, scores of farmers laid a blockade near Narwana railway station in Jind district for four hours that delayed three trains on the Delhi-Ludhiana route on Tuesday.

Three Delhi-bound trains train could not get clearance to pass after farmers laid a siege to the track from 10am to 2pm.

Several farmers had reached Narwana police station to get urea fertilizer, but after the stock got finished they lost their cool and blocked a rail track near the venue for the urea sale.

The protesters maintained that they were forced to take the step of blocking rail track as they had been sent back without fertiliser several times in the past.

Shouting slogans against agriculture minister OP Dhankar, farmers alleged that while they were not being given urea fertilizers, the same was being sold through black market and the government had turned a blind eye to the situation.

Dhankar had recently claimed that the government has sufficient stock of urea fertiliser and farmers need to panic.

Ferozepur Janta Express, Intercity Express and Chindwara Express had to wait till 2pm after the police cleared the track off the protesters.

Expressing his inability in tackling the situation, HAFED manager Satpal Kumar told mediapersons that they had not been receiving stock vis-à-vis the demand from the department concerned.

Meanwhile, train passengers were at the receiving end as many of them missed their flights and other commitments.

Some passengers alleged overcharging by vendors for tea and biscuits during the unexpected halt of trains.